Cinderella sighed. “Because Trieux first attacked Erlauf.”
“And why did your family and the other five remaining Trieux families of nobility survive?”
“Must we have this conversation? We both know why.”
“I said this was important.”
Cinderella rubbed the back of her neck. “Because we are the only six families that voted against invading Erlauf in a meeting of the House of Lords. Because of the landslide positive vote, our King approved the petition, and the attack went forward.”
“In the which you were slaughtered against our military might. We turned the tables and instead invaded and conquered Trieux. Poetic justice, one might say.”
“You don’t need to sound so gleeful about it,” Cinderella said, dusting off her dress.
“We aren’t done yet.”
Cinderella placed her hands on her hips. “What more do you want me to say? That Trieux is responsible for the slaughter of your soldiers and the draining of your coffers?”
“Why are you so loyal to your servants? Most Trieux families treat servants like pieces of furniture. No one else is so blasted stubborn in holding on to them. Before the war, you likely saw them as pieces of baggage as well. Why will you not let them go?”
“Because it was the Aveyron servants who risked their lives to speak up for my father and me in an Erlauf court of justice. They were the ones who told that ice-cold queen of yours that Father voted against the war. There, are you satisfied?” Cinderella said, turning her back to the Colonel.
Friedrich placed his hands on Cinderella’s shoulders as she transferred onions from a crate to a basket. “It does not give me joy to make you say this. I just want you to admit Trieux is not the wounded lamb you want it to be.”
Cinderella’s motions slowed. “I know we were wrong. Father said we were fools for thinking we could take Erlauf on, and our government and nobles were too greedy to see that. But…” Cinderella turned around. “Haven’t we been punished enough? Haven’t we paid enough, sweated enough, to make up for that? Must my children and my children’s children mortgage their futures for the sake of one foolish generation?”
“You have, and soon, I hope, your trials will end. The Crown Prince knows the country he will inherit is not united, but terribly divided. He will have to reckon Trieux to Erlauf for it to be a solid kingdom. Our children will not have to go through what you have gone through. The Erlauf Royal Family will see to it.”
“I have no confidence in your royalty. And our children? We are not married,” Cinderella said, ducking out from under Friedrich’s hands.
Friedrich ignored the nay-say. “You will have to forgive them, you know.”
“Who?”
“The Erlauf Royal Family. They are not doing this to be cruel.”
“I will admit Trieux marched to their doom, but you forget: I am the daughter of a man who was forced to marry an Erlauf widow against his will, a woman I still house and feed. I have sold almost every personal possession I own and almost every decorative piece in Aveyron to pay your Erlauf Royal Family’s taxes. I very much doubt they are doing this as a kindness.”
Friedrich sighed. “I suppose your recognition of Trieux’s actions is the most I could hope for today.”
“Wait a moment,” Cinderella said, turning around to face him again. “You have some admitting to do.”
“What more is there to admit? I agree the taxes are heavy and that the Crown Prince will have to do something about that,” Friedrich said.
“Yes, but that isn’t all. Trieux was wrong and terribly foolish, but the grip Queen Freja has over the country isn’t healthy,” Cinderella said.
“What do you mean?”
“Queen Freja acts more like a tyrant than a monarch, and for once I am not referring to the taxes.”
Friedrich frowned.
“Hear me out. She has absolute control, and no one holds her accountable. In Trieux, each noble family had a vote in the House of Lords. The King still had the ultimate power, but he often leaned on the House to make decisions.”
“You mean to say Queen Freja should add a group of law-makers to our government?”
“No,” Cinderella said. “The side-effect of having the House of Lords is everyone knew the government’s business. Nothing was hidden—it’s how Aveyron’s servants knew of Father’s vote.”
“And what has that to do with Queen Freja?” Friedrich asked.
“The reason Trieux citizens treat her with suspicion is because we cannot trust her. If she explained why the random searches and increased patrols are necessary, or if she had a reason for taxing us to poverty, we could better accept it. We would still hate her, but I do not think the tensions between our countries would be quite so…overwhelming,” Cinderella said.
Friedrich blinked. “You want her to explain herself?”